We were invited to a screening of the film to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
The original Space Jam came out when I was just 8 years old, so it was a big deal in my childhood. I remember watching it- both in the theater and on days in class when my teacher just couldn’t even and rolled out the TV cart- and the soundtrack was frequently played at middle school dances and parties.
But to be totally honest, I didn’t remember much about the movie itself- other than somehow Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters came together to play basketball for some reason. Not wanting the original movie to influence my opinion on the new one- Space Jam: A New Legacy– I still have no idea what happened in that first movie. So if you’re looking for a comparison between the two, this is not the review for you. But if you want to know if Space Jam: A New Legacy is worth seeing, read on!
About the Movie:
Welcome to the Jam! Basketball champion and global icon LeBron James goes on an epic adventure alongside timeless Tune Bugs Bunny with the animated/live-action event “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” from director Malcolm D. Lee and an innovative filmmaking team including Ryan Coogler and Maverick Carter. This transformational journey is a manic mashup of two worlds that reveals just how far some parents will go to connect with their kids. When LeBron and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before. It’s Tunes versus Goons in the highest-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way.
Going into the movie, even after watching the trailer, I had absolutely no clue how exactly it would come to be that LeBron James would find himself sharing a court with Bugs Bunny. But it actually is explained through the movie- and while it’s of course nonsensical, getting sucked into a “Serververse” and turning into a cartoon aren’t meant to be realistic so you can totally just roll with it.
Having LeBron play with these particular characters makes as much sense as any other characters- more, if you consider that the opponent {Al G. Rhythm, played by Don Cheadle} is trying to set him up for failure. But the Looney Tunes are far from the only Warner Bros. characters that are shown in the movie- the entire movie is rich with cameos from Voldemort to Superman. Some scenes in the film are dedicated to these cameos, like when LeBron and Bugs are traveling world to world to find their Looney friends, and during the game itself the crowd is packed with Warner Bros. characters. We’re going to have to watch the film several times to actually spot them all!
Anyway, the premise of the film is that Al G. Rhythm, the algorithm that Warner Bros. uses to come up with movie ideas, feels slighted by LeBron’s rejection. He pulls LeBron and his son, Dom, into the Warner Bros. Servers- collectively known as the “ServerVerse”- and tells LeBron that in order to get his son back, he’ll have to beat him at a game of basketball.
The problem? Of course the bad guy is cheating, and LeBron takes the game very seriously. Will he be able to do what needs to be done to save the day- and his son?
What I thought:
I thought this was a really fun movie! I was surprised by how many times I laughed out loud and really loved the relationship between LeBron and his son, especially once LeBron saw the error of his ways. LeBron James did a great job in this role and it was so fun seeing him be looney and have fun {eventually}.
This movie had lots of pop culture references for adults {not in an inappropriate way, just in a throwback sense} but plenty of humor for kids, too. While the beginning is probably a bit slow for the youngest kids in the audience, once the Serververse stuff starts happening the rest of the movie will definitely hold their attention.
What my family thought:
Everyone in our family agreed that it was a good movie and I heard every one of my family members laughing throughout the film! Zac {age 7} is a BIG fan of the film and is so glad that he can already rewatch it on HBO Max starting today!
Is Space Jam: A New Legacy appropriate for kids?
Absolutely! Let me break it down further though:
Language: There ARE a couple of swear words- I caught two of them in the first few minutes from young LeBron’s coach, and then another one later on in the film. There’s also one moment where an assumed string of expletives are said but with a loooong censor buzzer over them so you don’t actually hear anything. It’s done for effect and doesn’t include the actual bad language.
Adult content: I didn’t spot anything inappropriate in the film, especially since Lola Bunny is toned down physically from the original.
Scary stuff: Al G Rhythm as a bad guy is definitely scary, but not in a way that will terrify young kids. I think the scariest things in the movie are probably some of the Warner Bros. character cameos in the background- Pennywise from It is featured heavily along with some other creepy characters scattered throughout. But my kiddo didn’t seem to notice them so yours might not either.
The Goon Squad- the bad guy team that they go up against- is filled with villains of course, but they aren’t overly scary.
Interest: Like I mentioned earlier, the first 15-20 minutes or so set up the storyline and are important for the plot, but are probably a bit boring for the really young crowd {5 and under}. But once that part is out of the way the rest of the movie is non-stop action, including lots of gags and cartoony scenes.
Free Printable Space Jam: A New Legacy Activity Sheets
Want to keep the fun going after the credits roll? Check out these free printable Space Jam: A New Legacy activity sheets!
Download them here!
Space Jam: A New Legacy is out TODAY in theaters and on HBO Max {ad free subscription required}. Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and follow the #SpaceJamMovie hashtag for more!
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